Rail-joint connector and support.



J.T.BUTLER. BAIL JOINT CONNECTOR AND SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED 11113. 11, 1911.

1,007,061 Patented 001. 31, 1911.

JAMES T. BUTLER, REYNOLDSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT CONNECTOR AND SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters latent.

Fatented Oct. 31, 1911.

Applicat on filed. February 11, 1911. Serial No. 608,067.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. BUTLER, citizen of the United States, residing at Reynoldsville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joint Connectors and Supports, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints and has for its object the provision of a comparatively simple and thoroughly eflicient device of this character, by means of which the abutting ends of adjacent rails may be securely united without the employment of bolts, rivets and similar auxiliary fastening devices.

A further object of the invention is to adapted to embrace the rails at the abut-ting ends thereof and provided with upstanding flanges, the inner faces of which are inclined in the direction of one end of the chair for engagement with correspondingly inclined coupling members orv plates so that when the chair is positioned on the coupling plates and driven home, the rails will be securely held against both longitudinal and lateral displacement.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the wedgeshaped connecting plates detached, looking at the inner face thereof; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the chair or shoe; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device forming the subject matter of the present invention is principally designed for connecting the abutting ends of railway rails and by way of illustration is shown in connection with a section of track of the ordinary construction in i which 5 designates'the cross ties and 6 the rails, the webs 7 of which are preferably formed with a plurality of spaced transverse openings 8.

Disposed at the abutting ends of the rails 6, is a chair 9 comprising a flat plate 10 adapted to rest on the adjacent cross ties 5 and having spaced upstanding flanges 11 adapted to embrace the rails at the junction thereof. The flanges 11 preferably extend .the entire height of the webs 7, while the 5 lower ends of said flanges are bent laterally provide a rail joint including a chair at 12 so as to form a pocket for the reception of the base of the rail. The ends of the flanges 11 preferably terminateshort of the adjacent ends of the plate 10 to form attaching ears 13, the longitudinal edges of which are provided with recesses 14: for the reception of spikes or similar fastening devices, which latter are driven into the ad jacent cross ties 5 and serve to hold the chair in position thereon.

The inner longitudinal sides of the flanges 11 are gradually tapered in the direction of one end of the plate 10 to present inclined faces 15 for contact with suitable coupling members 16. The coupling members 16 are preferably in the form of wedge-shaped plates, each having its outer face smooth and unobstructed throughout the entire length thereof and its inner face provided with spaced laterally extending lugs 17 adapted to enter the adjacent openings 8 in the webs of the rails. The lugs 17 are preferably of such a length that when the plates 16 are placed on opposite sides of the rails 6, the inner ends of said lugs will abut at the center of the webs and thus form in eflect continuous transverse pins or bolts.

In using the device, the coupling members 16 are positioned on opposite sides of the rails 6 at the junction thereof, with the lugs 17 seated within the adjacent openings 8 in the webs of said rails. The chair 9 is then placed over the base of the rails with the diverging ends of the flanges embracing the reduced ends of the members 16, and said chair adjusted longitudinally of the rails, thus causing the inclined faces 15 of the flanges to bear against the adjacent smooth exterior faces of the plates 16 and securely hold the several parts thereof in assembled position.

After the chair has been adjusted to clamp the wedges in contact with the rail sections, the spikes 18 are driven into the cross ties at the seating recesses 14, thereby anchoring the chair in position on said cross ties and effectually preventing both longitudinal and lateral movement of the rails.

It will here be noted that the upper and lower longitudinal edges of the coupling plates 16 are curved at 19 to fit the angle of the rail at the head and base thereof, While the upper edges of the flanges 11 are correspondingly curved at 20 in the direction of the head of said rail.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with abutting rails having openings formed in the webs thereof, of coupling plates disposed on opposite sides of the rails at the junction thereof and provided with inwardly extending lugs adapted to enter said openings, and a chair having upstanding flanges, the inner faces of which are inclined in the direction of one end of the chair for contact with the outer faces of the coupling plates, the ends of said flanges terminating short of the adjacent ends of the chair to produce attaching ears.

2. The combination with cross ties having abutting rails secured thereto, the webs of which are provided with spaced openings, of wedge-shaped coupling plates spanning the rails at the junction thereof and having their outer walls smooth and their inner walls provided with laterally extending lugs of equal lengths, said lugs being adapted to enter the adjacent openings in the webs of the rails with their inner ends in contact with each other, a chair including a base plate having upstanding flanges, the inner walls of which are inclined for contact with the smooth outer walls of the coupling plates, the ends of the flanges terminating short of the adjacent ends of the base plate to produce flat attaching lips having their opposite edges provided with seating recesses, and fastening devices seated in said recesses and engaging the adjacent cross ties. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES T. BUTLER. [L.S.] Witnesses:

FRED J. BUTLER, G. W. KLINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

